Guyana Times - Saturday, October 15, 2022

Improvised weapons, ganja among contraband items found during N/A Prison raid

The items were taken to Central Police Station where they were lodged, to be disposed of.

Only a few weeks ago a joint search exercise conduct ed at the New Amsterdam Prison unearthed a num ber of illegal items including two Samsung and one ZTE cellular phones; four phone batteries; 60 zip lock bags with a quantity of leaves, seeds, and stems suspected to be cannabis amounting to 37.9 grams; one Digicel SIM card; 37 lighters; four phone chargers; 18 razor blades; 10 improvised weapons, and two pairs of scissors.

Mother of 2 doused with hot porridge succumbs 2 months later

A relative of the dead woman told Guyana Times that they were first told that the woman was burned on the face while cooking, but when they arrived at the hospital, they were told that she was burned with boiling porridge by her abusive hus band during an argument.

It was further reported that this was not the first time Gonsalves was abused by the man.

Following the incident, the woman was admitted as a patient at the hospital with severe burns to her, face, back, and other parts of her body.

Dead: Analee Gonsalves

The

Two months after she was doused with hot porridge by her 24-year-old husband, a 20-year-old mother of two succumbed to her injuries.

Her husband, who was later identified as 24-yearold Ajay Persaud called “Nicholas”, had escaped and was on the run.

Anumber

of prohibit ed items, including cellular phones, were found on Friday during a routing search at the New Amsterdam penitentiary.

It was reported that the exercise was carried out in the wee hours of Friday by prison officials with the as sistance of ranks from the

Guyana Defence Force, and other ranks of Police Regional Division #6.

The contraband items found during the joint op eration include two zip lock bags containing ganja, 17 improvised weapons, 23 lighters, a number of razor blades, three pairs of scis sors, and 11 cell phones.

Analee Gonsalves died while receiving medi cal attention at the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH) on Friday.

It was reported that on August 23, 2022, Gonsalves was doused with hot por ridge during an argument with her abusive husband at their La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara (WBD) home.

However, sometime lat er, an intelligence-led oper ation by the Police in Region Six resulted in the arrest of Persaud, who was later slapped with an attempted murder charge.

He remains in prison but is expected to make his next court appearance on October 20, 2022, where the charge will be upgraded to murder. He appeared before Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Wales Magistrate’s Court.

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Saturday, Oct 15 – 07:30h – 09:00h and Sunday, Oct 16 – 08:30h – 10:00h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h

WEATHER TODAY

There

Winds: South South-Easterly to North-Westerly

High Tide: 07:25h

Govt to solicit proposals to construct 30k barrel oil refinery in Reg 6 – Pres Ali

field will be an important part of the supply of energy around the Guyana Shield corridor,” he contended.

Currently, Guyana, Suriname, and Brazil are in talks on the establish ment of an energy corridor and unlocking the potential for a series of manufactur ing and industrial devel opments. Other Caribbean nations such as Trinidad and Tobago as well as Barbados are also looking to tap into this initiative.

Successive Governments have been cautious on the matter of building a re

finery.

The results of the study did not favour building a refinery, particularly one with a capacity to produce over 100,000 barrels per day. In his study, Haas looked at the cost of build ing an oil refinery with a capacity of producing more than 100,000 barrels of oil per day. The study had come up with a US$5 bil lion price tag in order to construct the refinery in Guyana.

The expert also suggest ed that as an alternative to the establishment of an oil

The People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government is moving ahead with the establish ment of an oil refinery in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) and will soon be inviting potential inves tors to submit their propos als for the construction of a 30,000-barrel facility.

This was revealed by President Dr Irfaan Ali on Friday evening at the opening of the Berbice Expo and Trade Fair at the Albion Community Centre Ground, Corentyne.

According to the Head of State, this refinery is to en sure Guyana’s energy secu rity in the future.

“We are about to launch a new ad for a Request For Proposal (RFP) for a new 30,000 refinery, for na tional security, to be built in Guyana, here in Region Six. In two months’ time, we’ll be receiving the sub missions from those who are interested in investing in this 30,000-barrel refin ery to be established right here in Region Six,” he stated.

This announcement comes months after President Ali had first dis closed that the Government had received six proposals from investors interested in building small oil refin eries in the East BerbiceCorentyne region.

At the time, the Guyanese leader was meet ing with residents of New Amsterdam, Berbice, in April and told them that such a project can be the catalyst for transforming the region into an econom ic hub.

In fact, the Head of State reiterated during Friday’s address in Albion that “In all of this, Regions Six and Five (Mahaica-Berbice) are well positioned to be the centrepiece for growth and development... The oppor tunities this [oil refinery] will create for the transport and logistics, the services industry, the construction industry, and the rental in dustry are enormous and will bring tremendous ben

efit to the people of this re gion.”

President Ali further noted that this move is part of his Administration’s plan of positioning Guyana as an energy leader in the world – not only in fossil fuel but also in renewable energy.

“The potential of the Amaila Falls Hydro Project, the catalysing of our gas

finery in Guyana that is State-owned, resulting in the only takers for this ini tiative coming from the pri vate sector. The former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government had previously hired a con sultant, Pedro Haas, to car ry out a feasibility study into constructing an oil re

refinery, the Government could pursue maximising income from commercial ising crude oil. Another suggestion was that the Government swap or toll crude oil for products on the global market or create joint ventures with offshore refineries, as well as ac quire stock in refining com panies.

An example of an oil refinery

President Dr Irfaan Ali addressing the opening of the Berbice Expo on Friday evening

Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Investment Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt,

Sex Offenders’ Registry

Despite the presence of a modern law protecting children and women from sexual abuse, there are still many of these cases occurring in society.

Earlier this year, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack, at the opening of the Criminal Session of the Demerara Assizes, revealed that of the total of 354 criminal cases at that sitting, 174 were for sexual offences.

Greater awareness and education campaigns have led to sexual abuse being widely discussed in society. Even among children, the subject is now being discussed or taught in a decent manner, primarily because they are victims of sexual abuse.

Child sexual abuse especially raises anger and revulsion in society. Because of the frequency with which child sexual abuse is occurring, children are in dire needed of protection, especially since it is difficult to distinguish a paedophile in our midst. The frightening side to this is that, in many instances, the perpetrator turns out to be someone familiar.

Although people agree that violating children is repulsive, there are no systems in Guyana that expose paedophiles. Since 2017, there have been numerous debates about the establishment of a Sex Offenders Registry. While there has been general agreement and support for such a registry, it is still to be materialised, as numerous hiccups have stymied the process. In failing to have such a registry, not only is the public unaware of who among its midst is a predator, but children are placed at greater risk.

As it stands at the moment, paedophiles can commit their acts, go to prison, get released, and simply rejoin the community as if their offences were frivolous matters.

No alert is given to the public that a paedophile is about to be released from prison, and that he poses a risk to children. Importantly, the nature of paedophiles needs to be understood. Most of them are recidivists, which is why they are kept under close watch even after serving time in prison in many countries around the world.

The authorities must have a system for dealing with paedophiles. What would help significantly is the creation of a national database on paedophiles, detailing every aspect of information about them, and alerting communities to where they are located. In advanced societies, such a database exists for the purposes of warning both parents and children, and protecting the latter. Those societies treat paedophilia seriously, and their authorities can get into trouble for not alerting communities that a paedophile lives in their midst. This is how Guyana should approach paedophilia. As in other societies, paedophilia is a crime that sticks on a person for life, and, by right, societies need to be told and warned of the presence of paedophiles in their midst. We need a more serious approach to curbing paedophilia and dealing with paedophiles.

In April of this year also, Education Minister Priya Manickchand alerted education officers that the commission of sexual offences at schools would not be tolerated.

To quote the Minister: “Education Officers have been alerted to the fact that there is no space for tolerance, whether deliberate or inadvertent, for sex offences in schools or of school children. Any education officer who receives a complaint of such nature must immediately report same to the Deputy Chief Education Officer (admin). Failure to make said report will result in condign action. Teachers and school staff should also take note.”

We support the Education Minister in her tough stance against sexual offences, while at the same time we call for the establishment of a national database on sex offenders, and more so paedophiles, for the sake of protecting children.

Having a peaceful handshake in a PNC stronghold!

Dear Editor,

The friendly handshake between Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Germaine Figueira, and His Excellency Dr Irfaan Alli did not go down well with Opposition Leader Mr Aubrey Norton, and this caused him to make some unsavoury remarks.

A common handshake between Mr Figueira and the President became a bone of contention for the PNC Leader, who re sponded by saying that he would have liked to see Mr. Figueira leading a band of persons with placards, de nouncing the President’s visit. That did not happen,

so it brought out the ire of Norton.

This hostile response coming from the Opposition Leader is all bound up in a series of events that led up to this point. He is raving mad that the President can go into a stronghold of the Opposition and command love and respect that only a true leader could. It is obvi ously worrying for him. So, at this stage, Mr Norton can literally explode and be true to his form.

It is the talk in some quarters that the Opposition Leader might very well do something ridiculously cra zy, which in real terms means that Mr. Figueira’s

standing as a parliamentar ian is on shaky ground.

Obviously, Norton is terribly shaken by the great inroads the PPP/C Administration is making in most areas of this coun try, Linden is one of them.

The ‘One Guyana’ Strategy is making a major differ ence as this administration moves into the various com munities, listening to the concerns of the people and, in many instances, making on-spot solutions. It is real and dynamic before our very eyes.

The ‘One Guyana’ con cept is a hell of a prob lem for Mr. Norton and his PNC claptraps. This policy

has taken him like an ava lanche, and has also given him a massive headache. I am talking about the ease with which Dr. Ali can move into any community, espe cially those communities they consider “controlled” by the PNC, and make major changes, all for the better ment of the citizens there. Nothing is more troubling for the Opposition Leader!

The people of this great country have seen their leaders, as well as they have seen the development. Let peace and progress contin ue.

Respectfully, Neil Adams

A possible game-changer in food security on a global scale

Dear Editor,

The research being done at Cornell University on feeding the world sustain ably is game-changing, and it would allow resources to be freed up for other uses while also reducing the car bon footprint associated with humans.

In Cornell University’s Cornell Chronicle’s press re lease, titled “Onshore algae farms could feed the world sustainably”, the University

discusses how an increase in food production by more than 50% is possibly achiev able.

The article stated that “protein-dense microalgae (single-celled), grown in on shore, seawater-fed aquacul ture systems” might be the solution. This protein-rich food thrives on CO2 which is a gas that the oil sector is bringing into the environ ment. Harnessing the excess unwanted CO2 of the sector

would allow for food produc tion that is rich in protein, surpassing fish, while also reducing the CO2 in the en vironment.

This adds to the sustain able nature of the oil sector, and allows for the solution of two major problems facing the planet: climate change and food security.

Recently, I had oppor tunity to taste plant-based meat, and I was pleasantly surprised at how good it tast

ed. The solution being pro posed at Cornell University could help fuel the growth of that industry as well.

The Government should consider having the University of Guyana and the Ministry of Agriculture jointly approach Cornell University to discuss op portunities to partner with them in this research.

The MV Kanawan docked at the Supenaam Ferry Stelling (Kevin Somwaru photo)

Hits and Jams defends performance by Spice, Skillibeng at Super Concert

In

light of recent com ments by Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton that Dancehall artistes Spice and Skillibeng’s per formances at the recently concluded Cricket Carnival Super Concerts were dam aging to the moral fibre of Guyana, Chief Executive Officer of Hits and Jams Entertainment, Rawle Ferguson believes that his comments are unfair.

Ferguson stated that the Dancehall culture is wide ly followed and loved by many, including Guyanese, while noting that the pa trons at these concerts are well aware of the style of en tertainment provided by the artistes.

In addition, Norton stat ed that the two artistes are

creating conditions for men to be abusive to women with the derogatory content of their music.

But Ferguson believes that social media and the in ternet, which are accessible by all, are probably the big

gest influencers of behaviour in society.

Both Spice and Skillibeng have a combined Instagram

following of almost five mil lion, which he believes is a clear indication that their music is liked and accepted

by many. Spice is a Grammynominated artiste and Skillibeng is also a chart-topping performer who has received a number of accolades from the music industry. Additionally, both artistes have travelled and performed around the world before massive crowds.

The duo also performed in Guyana on numerous oc casions with the full sup port of fans from all walks of life. On this note, the CEO is unsure as to the reason for the recent comments by the Opposition leader.

The Cricket Carnival was hosted in collaboration with CPL, the Government of Guyana with the support of corporate Guyana.

Murder at Golden Grove: LBI woman remanded for killing reputed husband

A30-year-old unem ployed woman was on Friday remanded to prison for fatally stabbing her reputed husband during a domestic dispute at their Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara (ECD) home.

Aquiella Abrams of Onion Field, La Bonne Intention (LBI), ECD, ap peared before Magistrate Fabayo Azore and was not required to plead to the capi tal offence, which stated that on October 10, 2022, at Lot 109 Sideline Dam, Golden Grove, ECD, she murdered

40-year-old Michael Wilson.

was remanded to prison until November 30.

It was reported that Wilson was stabbed twice in his abdomen by Abrams.

According to the Police, the couple often had domes tic disputes over allegations of infidelity levelled against the suspect by her reputed husband. This, according to Police, had previously led to physical and verbal abuse against the woman.

Investigators said during one of their arguments on Sunday, the woman told the

Cocaine, ganja found during Police operation in Essequibo

man that she was ending their relationship and would be moving back into her par ents’ home.

However, on the day in question, the couple had another argument as the woman was packing her be longings to move out of the house. Police said the man armed himself with a knife and assaulted the woman, causing her to receive inju

ries to her forearm.

The woman eventual ly succeeded in disarming Wilson and reportedly dealt him two stabs to his abdo men.

Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) were summoned and the man was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he died whilst receiving treat ment.

Police in Regional Division Number

Two (PomeroonSupenaam) on Thursday while on mobile patrol in the region, arrested three per sons who were found with narcotics in their posses sion.

The three men are said to be from different areas in the region. Following the op erations, a total of 9.6 grams of cannabis and one gram of cocaine were unearthed.

Only two weeks ago an Essequibo Coast man was caught with cocaine in the vicinity of a popular night club. It was reported that

ranks on mobile patrol on the Essequibo Coast arrest ed the 26-year-old man. The ranks reported that

the patrol was in the vicinity of the Anna Regina Market near a popular nightclub and as they approached the man, he attempted to leave, but he was intercepted.

A search was conducted on his person, during which two pieces of foil paper con taining a whitish rock-like substance were found. Police said that the substance was weighed and amounted to 10 grams of suspected cocaine.

The man was arrest ed and taken into custody at the Anna Regina Police Station, where he was later charged with the offence.

Remanded: Aquiella Abrams

Dead: Michael Wilson

The narcotics that were found during the raid on the Essequibo Coast

Page Foundation

Bar Graphs

Graphs are useful ways to display information or data. A bar graph uses bars to compare two or more things, people or places. The bars in this type of graph may be horizontal or vertical, not both. Each bar represents a number. Because the data is shown visually, the bars can be compared to one another. Sometimes, different coloured bars that represent different things are used.

Examples:

Each student at Central High voted for his or her favourite kind of Christmas cake.

The key tells you that the black bars stand for boys and the grey stand for girls. The horizontal line, or axis, at the bottom of the graph names different types of cakes. The vertical axis tells you how many boys and how many girls voted for that kind of cake.

How many boys voted for fruit cake?

Step 1: Find fruit cake on the horizontal axis. Look at the top of each bar in the fruit cake section and follow that line back to the vertical axis to find out how many boys voted for fruit cake. 250 boys voted for fruit cake.

How many students voted for sponge cake?

Step 1: Find sponge cake on the horizontal axis. Look at the top of each bar in the sponge cake section and follow that line back to the vertical axis to find out how many boys and how many girls voted for sponge cake. 400 boys + 300 girls = 700 students.

Exercises:

Use the graph below to identify the third most-liked fruit at the time of the year.

Materials:

Kundan/ Rhinestone

MDF/plywood

Shiny strings

Glue

Scissor

Tweezer

Coloured paint

Paint brush

(mostly thin, any shape)

Instructions

Paint the MDF/ plywood and let it dry for couple of hours. Stick on the kundans/ rhine stones and shiny strings with the help of twee zer and glue. Let the glue dry. And that’s it. You have the beautiful decoration ready! (myindi anversion.com)

According to the bar graph below, what was the least favourite holiday drink for students?

By The BroThers Grimm

There

was once a forester who went into the forest to hunt, and as he entered it he heard a sound of screaming as if a little child were there. He followed the sound, and at last came to a high tree, and at the top of this a little child was sitting, for the mother had fallen asleep under the tree with the child, and a bird of prey had seen it in her arms, had flown down, snatched it away, and set it on the high tree.

The forester climbed up, brought the child down, and thought to himself: ‘You will take him home with you, and bring him up with your Lina.’ He took it home, therefore, and the two children grew up together. And the one, which he had found on a tree was cal led Fundevogel, because a bird had carried it

away. Fundevogel and Lina loved each other so dearly that when they did not see each other they were sad.

Now the forester had an old cook, who one evening took two pails and began to fetch water, and did not go once only, but many times, out to the spring. Lina saw this and said, ‘Listen, old Sanna, why are you fetching so much water?’ ‘If you will never repeat it to anyone, I will tell you why.’ So Lina said, no, she would never repeat it to anyone, and then the cook said: ‘Early tomorrow morning, when the forester is out hunting, I will heat the water, and when it is boiling in the ket tle, I will throw in Fundevogel, and will boil him in it.’

SEARCH

President Ali announces skills development programme for Belladrum youths

Residents of Belladrum, West Coast Berbice (WCB), will soon benefit from a skills development programme that will see more young people be ing trained in heavy machine oper ations and mechanics.

This was disclosed on Friday by President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali during a visit to the community.

“These are not necessarily per sons who are from an academic stream or persons who would have to get certain qualifications to get into the technical institutes or the university…These are persons who may not have the qualifications but who we want to train techni cally to participate in the different sectors of the economy so we will be coming back to these communi ties as soon as that programme is launched,” the President noted.

This visit follows one made last year.

“What I’m here to do is to con tinue the conversation, to listen to you on how we can further en

hance the development of the com munity…to listen to you as to what other ideas you may have, and how we can move those ideas forward.

“I’m here to talk to the people. I’m here to listen to the people…to listen to your concerns and to work

with you on solving your prob lems… to work with you on devel oping your communities… to work with you on uplifting the lives of the people in this community,” President Ali told the residents.

He reminded that at the last

meeting, several goals were set to be achieved in the community, noting that concerns at that time revolved around drainage and ir rigation, support to farmers, devel opment of the community centre and community ground, creating opportunities at the village lev el for women and improvement of livelihoods.

“We have had development in all three areas of the community… to begin with, I want to say to the GOAL [Guyana Online Academy of Learning] scholars in this com munity, we had only 10 applica tions from Belladrum and all 10 of those persons who applied were granted GOAL scholarships from the Belladrum area.”

In addition, more than 10.5 miles of drainage and irrigation work was done in the communi ties, while farmers also benefitted from the shade house project.

Further, President Ali has as signed Public Service Minister Sonia Parag to the community to

Govt to solicit proposals to construct...

However, the study was done at a time when oil giant ExxonMobil was the only operator in Guyana’s waters to find oil in commercial quantities. Members of the private sector have previously urged that the construc tion of a refinery be re-ex plored when more opera tors find oil.

Back in August, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo had hinted that while the Government has received at least eight or nine pro posals for big refineries to be set up here, there is a need for at least one small refinery in the country to

process the crude for local consumption in order to ensure the country’s ener gy security in the future.

“Having a small refin ery here could make a big difference for energy se curity because if we have, for example, hurricanes or any other disaster [in the Region] and we can’t get our supply of gas or kero sene or anything else, then having a local refinery –a small one – can make a big difference for national energy security,” the Vice President had posited.

In fact, VP Jagdeo had previously said that Government is prepared to

support the establishment of a small refinery, and even sell limited amounts of Guyana’s crude to such a facility.

Already, a United States investor – Chemtech Limited – is planning to set up a US$200 million oil refinery and integrat ed petrochemical manufac turing complex on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) that will employ some 750 persons during its con struction and another 300 permanent workers.

According to Chemtech in its project summa ry, they have already re ceived no-objection let

ters from the Guyana Office for Investment (GOInvest) and the Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) Regional Democratic Council (RDC) for the proj ect which has a proposed site on 492 acres of land at Plantation York.

The company said the oil refinery will take be tween 24 and 30 months to construct, while the in tegrated complex will take between 18 and 24. The project, it assured, would not need natural gas but would utilise products al ready made from natural gas, such as methanol and urea.

FROM PAGE 3

address the interest of the resi dents there.

“She will be coming to you, door by door working with every mem ber of this community and I want you to take her in as a member of your community because… that is the only way we can take our coun try forward.”

The President also highlight ed the developments taking place across the country and the sup port his Government is giving to the citizens. “Those who can’t see the transformation…don’t want to, look at the improvements that we are making in drainage and ir rigation, road network, education, bringing back the school uniform grant, the transportation grant, increasing old age pension,” the President pointed out.

The Head of State also ad dressed a number of concerns raised by the residents at the meet ing. Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha and other officials also accompanied the President.

Meanwhile, the Government of Guyana is currently progressing with its hallmark gas-to-shore project, which includes a power plant and a Natural Gas Liquid (NGL) plant, that is aimed at delivering rich gas by the end of 2024.

The US$900 million initiative is slated to gen erate 250 to 300 mega watts of power using nat ural gas from offshore production activities in the ExxonMobil-operated Stabroek Block, thus sig nificantly reducing the country’s high cost of elec tricity.

President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali addressing residents of Belladrum on Friday

Corentyne man freed of 2019 Christmas Day murder due to lack of evidence

Navindra Singh for the mur der of 30-year-old Carlos Williams. Thomas’s trial be gan earlier this month.

When the prosecution closed its case, Thomas’s lawyer, Suriya Sabsook, submitted that there was no case against her cli ent. The trial Judge agreed with counsel’s submissions which he upheld, discharged Thomas and informed him that he was free to go.

Williams, also known as “Tony”, 30, a driver of Rose Hall Town, Corentyne, was attacked at a club locat ed at Portuguese Quarters, Corentyne, on the day in question.

ACorentyne, Berbice

man was on Thursday freed of a charge of murdering another man on Christmas Day in 2019 af ter a Judge upheld a no-case

submission made by his law yer.

Rickford Thomas of Fyrish Village, Corentyne, had been on trial before Berbice High Court Judge

According to reports, Williams was leaving the club when he got involved in a heated exchange with Thomas, which led to a scuf fle. It was then that Thomas allegedly stabbed Williams in his abdomen with a bro

Dead: Carlos Williams

ken bottle before fleeing the scene.

The injured man was rushed to the Port Mourant Hospital where he suc cumbed while receiving treatment.

The world goes round...

…on debt?

Your Eyewitness grew up believing that “money makes the world go round”. Foolish him!! From figures he’s just seen, even if that were ever true, today it’s debt that spins our world!! The US – the richest country in the world – has an astounding $30 TRILLION in debt out of the world’s 196 countries’ total of $303 TRILLION!! China - poised to overtake the US as the world’s largest economy - clocks in at $13 trillion!! And please, dear reader, we’re talking US greenbacks, not Guyana’s monopoly money! And in case you forgot, it takes ONE THOUSAND BILLIONS to make ONE TRILLION!!

And in case you wondered where we stood on the debt sweepstakes, we’re #164th at $1,14 billion!! So, does this mean that, if we wanna get richer, we should go on a borrowing binge?? Well…um…not really! As you may’ve figured out, hopefully by now - borrowing’s sweet, but payback’s a bitch, and this lesson also applies to countries!!

At the personal level, if you can’t pay back, your lender either breaks your kneecaps with a bat in some alleyway; or, if he’s civilised, drags you to the Courts, that’ll throw you in the clinker if you still can’t cough up the dough!!

With countries, they also can go the kneecaps route. Back in the day, France imposed on Haiti a levy for ending slavery that took that nation more than a hundred years to repay!! And it took the landing of American marines to literally crack some kneecaps – and skulls! - to remind the destitute Haitians that “debts” – even imposed ones - gotta be repaid. But that was then. After WWII, the US and the West invented their “legal” enforcer to collect debt repayment – the IMF.

This institution cracked knees using something called SAP – Structurally Adjustment Program – that sucked the country’s citizens dry. Like when the PNC nationalised 80% of the economy and, by 1979, couldn’t repay loans!!

The IMF froze all transactions, forced Guyana to its knees till 1989, when Hoyte agreed to a SAP. By then the $800 million debt had become $2.1 billion because of accumulated interest!! Hoyte called it an Economic Recovery Program (ERP) – which Guyanese dubbed “Empty Rice Pots”!!

So, dear reader, what about that $30 trillion the US owes?? Well, this shows that money and debt are identical!! When the US prints a dollar bill, it’s “money” –but also a promise (debt) to anyone holding that piece of paper that they can exchange it for goods in America!! So, America’s “debt” is ultimately paper the rest of the world’s willing to hold, because they believe they can exchange it in the US – and elsewhere – for goods.

So, if the rest of the world calls in their debt – will the IMF break kneecaps?!!

…on self-interest

As the Ukraine War grinds on, since it affects us all, everyone’s forced to wonder who’s “right” and who’s “wrong”. Your Eyewitness is gonna share his perspective on the matter. He’s a realist… ie, someone or some country that views the world as it is, and not in terms of an unrealised ideal that one wishes for – an idealist! Realism sees a world always in conflict, since it’s filled by states whose overweening concern is their OWN security, which rarely totally coincides.

Each of them will then do whatever it takes to gain an advantage to protect what it defines as its interests. Within each group, some will seek dominance, and pursue power as towards that end. Realists, therefore, see the distribution of power among states as the major determinant of how they’ll behave. Ultimately, they give short shrift to international law, international organisations, or morality!

The golden rule is, “There are no permanent friends of permanent enemies, just permanent interests”!!

Understand Ukraine now??

…on planes

Your Eyewitness is intrigued by the MoU signed between Guyana and China on “air links” to that country. So, from a realist’s standpoint, what’s in it for us, and for the Chinese??

Is this part of the Belt and Road Initiative??

Freed:

Nandlall pushes for legislative change to facilitate gender equality in Parliaments

Elections must be women. By our Constitution, the supreme law of Guyana, the State guarantees to ev ery citizen, equal treatment and protection against dis crimination, as fundamen tal rights and freedoms. We have broad-based com missions established by the Constitution such as the Women and Gender Equality Commission and the Rights of the Child Commission, designed to promote issues such as gender parity and to preserve and protect the rights of women and chil dren,” he informed the con ference.

Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, SC, has urged countries to embark on leg islative changes to create space for gender equality so that more women can partic ipate in the decision-making level not just in Parliament but across the public sector.

He made his call on Thursday while address ing the 145th InterParliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly being held in Kigali, Rwanda. The theme of the event is “Gender Equality and Gender Sensitive Parliaments as Drivers for a More Resilient and Peaceful World”.

According to Nandlall, who is a senior Government Member of Parliament, Guyana fully embraces the thematic objective of the conference and consequent ly, pledges its unwavering support to the IPU Assembly as it strives to prosecute this noble ideal.

“I assure you that the Government and country I serve, support equality and equal treatment in all its fac ets and across every sector of society. Concomitantly, we eschew and strike down the scourge of discrimina tion whenever it raises its ugly head in any form or fashion,” he stated.

The Attorney General posited that there is sim ply no rational basis to re sist greater gender bal ance in Parliaments. To do so, he noted, is not only be ing unfair to women but short-changing oneself and undermining human prog ress as a whole.

“We have much more work to do. A good start is to push for legislation to be implemented in Member

States that would engen der greater gender parity in their Parliaments, while we continue to canvass for the removal of all institutional and systematic structures, legislation, policies and pro grammes which perpetuate gender inequality across the States’ apparatus,” he out lined.

Nandlall went on to point out Rwanda’s track record on this issue, that is, the country in the world with the highest number of wom en in its Parliament of over 60 per cent. He noted it is no surprise that the country is not only the fastest-growing economy in Africa but in the world as well.

Turning attention to his homeland, the Attorney General noted that while Guyana began this process of gender equality a long time ago, he admitted that it still remains a work in prog ress.

“Today, one-third of Guyana’s parliamentari ans are women. It is a re quirement by law that one-third of the list of candi dates contesting the General

Moreover, AG Nandlall outlined that Guyana has a strong network of leg islation, policies and pro grammes that outlaw gender and other forms of discrimi nation and which protect women and children from ills such as sexual abuse, do mestic violence, and traffick ing in persons as well as hu man trafficking.

He added, “In short, we are playing our small part and I wish to assure this Assembly that it has a will ing partner in Guyana, and I daresay, the entire Caribbean Region. Let us, therefore resolve to move resolutely to make the theme of this conference a reality. Our failure will cer tainly result in greater hu man rights tragedies, soci etal stagnation and indeed, the global peace for which we strive will continue to elude us.”

Referencing Dr Martin Luther King, Jr, who once said that “peace is not the absence of war but the pres ence of justice,” the Attorney General argued that in

equality in any form, includ ing gender inequality, is the very anthesis of justice.

He noted that without justice, there can be peace nowhere. To this end, he stated that the theme of the IPU conference sells itself. Gender parity in Parliament, in Government and indeed, at every level of public decision-making is indeed an essential com ponent of democracy, social progress, justice, and peace. Without them, he added, comes dictatorship, stagna tion, violence, and anarchy.

“Although gender equal ity is entrenched in the Charter of the United Nations, and forms part of the fundamental guarantees of governing instruments of similar organisations across the globe, and are ensconced in the Constitutions and laws of most countries, the reality paints a starkly dif ferent picture, in particular,

as it relates to the member ship of Parliaments around the world,” he stated.

For example, only three in 193 countries surveyed have a 50 per cent or more female membership in their Parliaments. In fact, 143 countries have below 30 per cent of female membership, while several countries still have no women representa tion in their Parliaments.

According to AG Nandlall, these are stag gering statistics in a world where the female gender outnumbers the male.

“Women are the source of life and the reason for our existence. We are all nur tured and groomed by wom en. It is said that the house wife of the average worker, in a world of the rising cost of living but stagnant wages, is the world’s greatest econ omist. Women have repeat edly shown in almost every area of human endeavour

that they are equal to men,” the Attorney General assert ed.

He further recalled the salutary words of Rwandan President, Paul Kagame, who said “We cannot be satisfied when women per form over two-thirds of the world’s work, produce over half of the food we eat, yet just a meagre tenth of glob al incomes belong to them… ‘Imihigo’ should serve as our new metric for Rwanda’s commitments to better the lives of our girls and wom en”.

AG Nandlall is attending the 145th IPU Assembly in Kigali along with Speaker of the National Assembly Manzoor Nadir, Clerk of the National Assembly Sherlock Isaacs, Opposition Member of Parliament Dawn Hastings-Williams, and Table Officer and Personal Assistant to the Clerk Kiana Benjamin.

The Guyana Delegation at the 145th IPU Assembly in Kigali, Rwanda

Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, SC

MoPW staff depart for India for training on MV Ma Lisha vessel

Nineteen officers/tech nical staff attached to the Public Works Ministry departed Guyana for India for training to op erate the new ferry, MV Ma Lisha

The training will cover the mechanical and electri cal system of the new fer ry vessel and is expected to last for one week in Kolkata, India.

The team includes Shore Chief Engineer, Corwin Stepen; Mechanical Engineer, Steve Ramsarran;, Chief Engineer, Carlton Shivdyal; Second Engineer, Ryan Cheeks; Ordinary Salesman, Orandel Niles; Ordinary Seaman, Newton Parks; Technician (Electrical), Marion Levius; Technician (Electrical), Godfrey Reece; Technician

(Mechanical), Leandre Nelson; Mate, Orson Linndie; Mate, Matthew Burke; Captain, Cleroy Haywood; Chief Engineer, Paul Brotherson; Second Engineer, Garfield Karl; Ordinary Seaman, Courtney Melville; Ordinary Seaman, Randy October; Surveyor of Ships, Courtney McDonald; Technician (Electrical), Collis Bethune and Chief Mechanical Engineer, Victor Reid.

Some of the officers recently met with the Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, H E Dr KJ Srinivasa during which he briefed the team on the on going cooperation between India and Guyana, of which the MV Ma Lisha was one of the prime examples, as well as on general informa

tion on the economic prog ress, culture, cuisine, tourist places in India, especially in Kolkata.

The MV Ma Lisha ocean going ferry is built by the premier Indian compa ny, M/s Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd, under the Government of India’s US$12.77 million Line of Credit-cum-Grant project in India.

The ferry will cater to the transportation needs of pas sengers and cargo along the river line and coastal routes of the North-western district of Guyana.

The ferry was launched earlier this year in India by Public Works Minister Juan Edghill, Guyana’s High Commissioner to India Charrandas Persaud and other dignitaries.

The team along with Indian High Commissioner to Guyana and other officials

housing drive

Over 600 house lots to be distributed during 2-day event in Berbice

also installed in Ordnance Fortlands, Ankerville Block 5, Port Mourant, Area R Port Mourant, Kilcoy/ Chesney and Hampshire/ Williamsburg, and electrical works at the existing hous ing developments have been completed.

Some 600 residents of Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) will be allocated house lots in Number 75 and Number 76 Villages, Corriverton, during the Housing and Water Ministry’s “Dream Realised” exercise on Friday and Saturday.

A total of 400 persons re ceived house lots at the ex ercise held at the University of Guyana’s Tain Campus on Friday, while anoth er 200 will receive theirs at the Berbice Expo slated for today at the Albion Sports Complex.

Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal said this allocation and the 339 house lots distributed with in the past year, will signifi cantly reduce the backlog of applications within the Ministry’s database.

The Minister said the new housing areas for which allocations are being done include industrial and com mercial areas, as well as spaces for recreational, re ligious, educational and health facilities, including a new hospital.

The exercise, he noted, is happening even as Berbice is embarking on a transforma tional journey with the de velopment of a new econom ic hub at Palmyra, where the Government plans to construct a stadium, hotels and shopping malls.

A new synthetic track is also underway in New Amsterdam, a municipal airport will be constructed

in the region and a nation al training facility will be es tablished to train persons in the oil and gas and hospital ity sectors.

“These activities will no doubt bring their demand for accommodation, enter tainment and food services. These are opportunities for employment and invest ments which I hope that you will take advantage of,” he told the hundreds of per sons gathered to uplift their house lots.

Just a few months ago, the Ministry launched the Home Construction Assistance Facility in Region Six to aid those per sons who qualify to access fi

total of 100 flat two-bedroom houses are underway in Ordnance Fortlands, Canje, and 100 similar houses in Hampshire/Williamsburg have been completed.

135 street lights were

Minister within the Ministry, Susan Rodrigues, who was also at the event, stated that that the Government has invested $3 billion in infrastructural de velopment in the region in cluding, the construction of new roads and bridges and upgrades to existing roads, and the installation of utili ties in housing schemes.

“This is just through the Ministry of Housing. We are not talking about invest ments in all sectors…all of our actions since taking of fice have been focused on

ensuring we deliver qual ity health care, education, housing, clean water help for vulnerable communi ties, help for vulnerable peo ple with disabilities, women, children, and we have been ensuring that we deliver em ployment,” she said.

Minister Rodrigues reiterated the PPP/C Government’s commitment to delivering 50,000 house lots by 2025. To date, more than 16,000 house lots have been delivered to Guyanese.

Some 200 land titles and transports will also be hand ed over to landowners during the two days. The activity will continue on Saturday at the Albion Sports Complex.

Regional Chairman, David Armogan, Chief Executive Officer of the Central Housing and Planning Authority, Sherwyn Greaves and Permanent Secretary Andre Ally were also in attendance.

nance to build their homes.

Minister Croal report ed that the response has been tremendous and so far, 46 persons have applied of which 21 have received as sistance to build houses val ued at $7 million, 13 for $9 million, and 10 for $12 mil lion.

Like the Home Construction Assistance Facility, the Government has introduced other pro grammes to make home ownership a reality for thou sands of Guyanese.

The Administration has partnered with all the com mercial banks to ensure persons can easily access finance through a loan or mortgage while paying con cessionary interest rates.

To further meet the housing demands in the re gion, Minister Croal said a

Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal

One of the recipients pulling a house lot number

Housing and Water Ministers Collin Croal and Susan Rodrigues, along with Regional Chairman David Armogan at the Tain Campus during Day 1 of the “Dream Realised” Housing Drive

A section of the gathering

Pesticide Board targets innovative ways to bring awareness

Regions Four (DemeraraMahaica) and 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

The second was held on Thursday at Tarlogie Village, Corentyne, for ven dors who sell pesticides, and for their staff.

The Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Board (PTCCB) is seeking to im plement innovative ways to sensitise citizens about pes ticides and other toxic chem icals and products.

Apart from rolling out its awareness campaign in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), a region that is known for its misuse and mismanagement of these

harmful substances, the PTCCB Board is hoping that vendors would be a part of the public awareness cam paign.

The PTCCB falls under the Agriculture Ministry, and as part of Agriculture Month activities, a series of vendor education pro grammes are being held countrywide.

The first was held with 28 vendors and some staff from

During the session, Registrar of the Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Board, Trecia David, stated that apart from providing information and training on the storage of pesticides, the Board is hoping to use those vendors to assist with dis semination of educational information.

She pointed out that one of the reasons for strength ening vendor education pro grammes beyond the owner or vendor is to ensure that every person who is work ing in a pesticide distribu tion site, where a farmer or any pesticide user would go to purchase a pesticide, has the relevant knowledge and

the competence to be able to provide advice and guid ance.

“For a long time, the (agri) industry is one of the areas that we have not en gaged as much as we should in helping to promote safe use in the handling of pes ticides, and sound chemi cal management practices,” David declared. She add ed that pesticide vendors also have a duty to promote sound chemical manage ment practices.

“A pesticide vendor is likely to have far more deal ing on a daily basis with a pesticide user that we at the Board would have. While we do training and aware

ness, we would do that peri odically. So, for example, we are not going to be in Region Six every day, but every day or every week, that farmer may go to a pesticide vendor, and being able to be trained and having the knowledge you need, you can also sup port the Board by advising what product to use, what PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) you should wear, how you should store it…”

She explained that the issue of storage of toxic chemicals has always been a concern of the board. “When that consumer purchases that pesticide, the response becomes his or hers. What

we are doing is strengthen ing the pesticide vendor to support that kind of infor mation-sharing. So, they are not just selling a pesticide anymore, they now have the capability to provide advice and needed guidance. We want to be in a position to ensure that the vendors can give that advice.”

There are 204 licensed pesticide vendors country wide. Pesticide vendors and their employees who fail to access the current education and certification exercise would have to undertake the Pesticide Vendors Education Programme for future li censing of their businesses.

(Andrew Carmichael)

Registrar of PTCCB, Trecia David

Some of the pesticide vendors at Thursday’s training on the Corentyne

BoI report on DHB collision handed over

TheBoard of Inquiry that was set up to probe the Panamanian fuel tanker, MV Tradewind Passion’s, collision with the Demerara Harbour Bridge (DHB) last Saturday has completed its works and handed over its findings to the Public Works Ministry on Friday.

The report was present ed to Public Works Minister Juan Edghill by Captain Joseph Lewis – a Marine Officer and Surveyor of Ships, who led the team during the investigation.

Captain Lewis assured the Minister that every check was made during their probe. Additionally, he indi cated that interviews were conducted to gather as much information as to accurately compile the report.

“Being a marine survey or that deals with interna tional ship, I have very high standards and with this re port here I am very im pressed, it has met my stan dard and we hope it will also meet your standard, Minister,” he stated.

The report was handed over in the presence of the other BoI members: Thandi McAllister – Director of Legal Affairs at MARAD; Yolanda Hughes – Member of the Board and a Staff of

Transport and Harbours Department; Inspector Carlos Ross of the Marine Division of the Guyana Police Force; Lt Col David Shamsudeen of the Guyana Defence Force’s Coast Guard; Patrick Thompson – Chief Transport & Planning Officer at the Public Works Ministry, and Dimitri Ali, Member of the Board of Directors of the Guyana National Shipping Corporation.

The BoI, which was set up immediately after the collision, was given a sev en-day timeline to submit its report. They officially start ed their investigation on

Monday last.

During the retraction of marine traffic in the wee hours of Saturday, the fuel ship, which was transport ing fuel to the Guyana Oil Company (GuyOil), crashed into the bridge. The dam age to the critical structure was extensive with at least four spans and a pontoon affected. It also resulted in DHB Corporation’s Shift Supervisor, Andy Duke, who was on duty at the time on the bridge, suffering a bro ken left leg after he was forced to jump to safety.

At the time, the ves sel was heading south and was the last of five vessels

Govt working to address high level of water wastage – Min Croal

TheHousing and Water Ministry is aiming to have better account ability for the usage of wa ter countrywide, amid a high level of wastage re corded by the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI).

Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal ex plained on Thursday that the East Bank has been re cording the highest number of breakages due to develop mental works, adding to the water wasting issue.

It is one of three ar eas being looked at to bet ter manage the water sector and adequately provide ser vices, especially across the coastal belt.

“We still do have a high level of wastage and with that, we have been trying to manage some of the devel opment on the East Bank because, in terms of cluster area, the highest number of breakages we have is on the East Bank. That is why there is so much disruption on the East Bank because invariably, many times it is because we have break age as a result of an exca vator or a contractor work ing in a particular area,” the Minister revealed.

He added that this week, Cabinet gave its no objec tion to the upgrades of a number of plants, especial ly targeting the East Bank, East Coast, and a portion in Region Three.

Minister Croal further pointed out that along with focusing on expanding ser vices, they are looking to en sure that treated water is a priority.

“While initially, the fo cus has always been to put more wells, expand distri bution networks, raise the pressure or level of service to households, equally lag ging far behind was the as pect of non-treated water.”

Added to this, Government is soon to reach its 25,000-house lot alloca tion mark, meaning the de mand will continue to grow.

In light of this, budgetary resources are increasing ev ery year to put new systems in place.

“By midpoint in this five year, we are expected to be somewhere close to our

25,000 allocations. It means that the capacity and the demand for water will also grow. That is why you see in creased budgetary resources being placed within the cap ital programme to ensure we have new wells, and new systems, and buy new mate rials. Because one of the ar eas they have also improved on is with respect to dealing with wastages, and reduc ing non-revenue water,” the Housing and Water Minister outlined.

In mid-2022, supplemen tary funds to the tune of $21 billion for the Housing and Water Ministry were re quested and of that amount, $15.9 billion were to facili tate infrastructural works in new and existing housing areas.

The remaining sum was for works in the water sup ply sector including the com pletion of water supply in terventions in hinterland areas, and resources to in crease treated water cover age through the construc tion and upgrading of water treatment plants as well as improving and expanding water supply systems in un derserved and unserved ar eas. Monies were listed too for the replacement of age ing and deteriorated pipe lines in Georgetown along with the upgrading of the water treatment plants in Linden and the drilling of wells. (Rupa Seenaraine)

to cross through the bridge, which had to be out of com mission over the weekend and only opened on Monday to light vehicular traffic. A scheduled arrangement was subsequently put in place for vehicles carrying less than 18 tonnes as works continue on the bridge.

Updating reporters on the repairs at the bridge, Minister Edghill said on Thursday that the team is working miracles since they are conducting work while simultaneously facilitating the movement across the bridge.

“Those are things some engineers and technicians would want the bridge to be closed to do. But with proper planning and putting heads

together, we’ve been able to [open the bridge],” he ex plained.

The Public Works Minister further pointed out that while significant work has been conducted over the past few days to get the bridge to a working stage, there is much more to be done. But he could not give a timeline for when these works will be completed so that the bridge can return to normal operations.

“We’re working on every thing to make that happen… It’s nowhere near the finish, but significantly advanced, great work is being done by the engineers and the con tractors,” he stressed.

However, over the past two days, Edghill noted that

efforts were being made to prepare the bridge for re tractions to allow the flow of marine traffic.

“…Getting the bridge functional for vehicular traf fic is only one aspect. They have to get the bridge func tional as well for marine traffic because it must be able to the retraction to al low for the passage of boats,” he stated.

In fact, the DHBC on Friday issued a public ad visory that the bridge will be closed to vehicular traf fic for one hour today – from 08:30h to 09:30h – to facili tate marine traffic; the first retraction in days.

But even as works still continue on the bridge, Minister Edghill disclosed that the repairs have al ready racked up a bill of over $1 billion and counting. He reiterated that the compa ny that owns the vessel will have to foot the bill for ongo ing repair works.

In fact, he revealed that the Panamanian vessel re mains detained by local au thorities in Guyana’s wa ters.

“We’ve already done all the necessary legal pa perwork. The ship is legal ly under arrest, because we’ve filed all the neces sary paperwork,” the Public Works Minister disclosed on Thursday.

HPV vaccines now available for persons over 15 years

The Health Ministry has expanded access to human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccines to per sons beyond 15 years of age, in keeping with new guide lines issued by global health authorities.

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony explained on Friday that previously, only males and females up to 15 years of age could obtain an HPV vaccine. Now, it is widely available to older age groups amid new data and Guyana is following suit.

“There have been chang es because previously, we were only offering these vac cines for persons nine to 15 years of age. But the new guidelines published by all the reputable organisations dealing with cervical can cer would have advised that we can go beyond 15 years of age. That is why we have now updated our schedule,” the Minister updated.

Depending on the age groups, different dosages are administered. For per sons nine to 15 years of age, there is a single dose regi men based on PAHO/WHO recommendations. For per sons 10 to 18 years of age, there is also a two-dose reg imen taken six months be tween. Meanwhile, for per sons 19 to 45 years of age, there is a three-dose course.

The Health Ministry is currently partnering with the Education Ministry to

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony

boost HPV vaccine uptake among school-aged children. This is because it can pre vent some cancers from de veloping at a later age.

“Why this is important is that it was discovered that human papillomaviruses can actually cause different forms of cancers. You have cervical cancers, anal can cers, and oral concerns that HPV can cause. One way of preventing persons later in life from getting these can cers is to make sure they’re vaccinated,” he related.

The Health Minister pointed out that in Guyana, cervical is the second most prevalent among women, pointing at the need for ac tion.

“We have, among women

in Guyana, cervical cancer is the second most prevalent cancer among women. We can prevent this by ensuring that all women in Guyana get vaccinated. That’s one of the reasons we have this campaign, to educate es pecially young people per taining to HPV vaccination, what it can do, what it can prevent.”

“With cervical cancer es pecially, HPV plays a very pivotal role in prevention and we really want people to ensure that they get vac cinated against these virus es,” he added.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a small, non-envel oped deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) virus that infects skin or mucosal cells. HPV is a common sexually trans mitted infection that usual ly shows no symptoms and goes away by itself, but can sometimes cause serious ill ness.

HPV is responsible for almost all cases of genital warts and cervical cancer, and 90 per cent of anal can cers.

HPV vaccines offer long-lasting protection against HPV infection and therefore disease caused by HPV infection. This vaccine can also prevent vaginal and vulvar cancer. In addition, the vaccine can prevent gen ital warts, anal cancers, and mouth and throat cancers among others in women and men.

of plants in Regs

&

to commence soon

Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal

Public Works Minister Juan Edghill receiving the report from the BoI set up to probe last week’s collision at the Demerara Harbour Bridge

Full Court declines to grant order for suspended APNU/AFC MPs to attend Parliament

By Feona Morrison

The Demerara Full Court on Friday unanimously refused to grant interim orders and injunctions requested by eight suspended APNU/AFC Members of Parliament (MPs) which, among other things, would have allowed them to attend sittings of the National Assembly.

Opposition Chief Whip Christopher Jones, Ganesh Mahipaul, Sherod Duncan, Natasha SinghLewis, Annette Ferguson, Vinceroy Jordan, Tabitha Sarabo-Halley and Maureen Philadelphia were, in July, officially suspended for par ticipating in the infamous grabbing of the Speaker’s Mace — the most signifi cant symbol in the National Assembly – and for dis rupting the sitting of the National Assembly on December 29, 2021 during their protest against the second and third readings of the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Bill.

Through Senior Counsel Roysdale Forde, the MPs had mounted a challenge against their suspension at the Demerara High Court, arguing, inter alia, that it was unconstitutional. Pending the hearing and determination of the sub stantive matter, they had requested several conserva tory orders and injunctions which, if granted, would have allowed them to attend Parliament.

But High Court Judge Damone Younge declined to grant the orders request ed, including an interim or der suspending any deci sion to suspend these MPs.

In so doing, Justice Younge declared that, firstly, she wanted to determine if she has jurisdiction to hear the case, before addressing her mind to the reliefs the MPs are seeking. Consequently, she has adjourned the case until November 1, 2022 for a full hearing on the issue of jurisdiction, as well as to address an application filed by Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC, for the case to be dismissed.

The MPs then turned to the Full Court to appeal Justice Younge’s refusal to grant the reliefs they re quested.

Full Court’s ruling

Finding that the is sues raised in the suspend ed MPs’ appeal were “pre mature” and identical to those raised before Justice Younge, the Full Court — comprising Justices Sandil Kissoon and Jo-Ann Barlow — dismissed their appeal without awarding costs against them.

In delivering the court’s ruling, Justice Barlow held that since there is no final decision/order by the low

er court on the issues: of the question of jurisdiction and the grant of conservato ry orders/injunctions, there can be no appeal to the Full Court.

Justice Barlow has made clear that the Full Court has not pronounced on the issue of jurisdiction, only that, given the grave public in terest nature of the case, it must be determined and dis posed of with alacrity.

Justices Kissoon and Barlow commenced hear ing arguments in the appeal at 13:00h on Friday. This lasted for a few hours, after which the court went into recess, and returned with its decision just after 16:00h.

Before the Full Court, Forde had contended that the absence of his clients in the National Assembly would not only negatively affect the interest of the per sons who had elected them, but also the strength of the Parliamentary Opposition and the general public inter est.

Further, he contend ed that their suspension would deny them the right, as MPs, to examine and ap prove the Government’s pro posed budgetary expendi ture and withdrawals from the Consolidated Fund.

Alluding to the Government’s announce ment of its intention to ta ble amendments to electoral legislation at the next sitting of the National Assembly, Forde had submitted that the Parliamentarians’ pres ence in the House is vital.

Findings

The decision to sus pend the eight APNU/ AFC MPs was made by the Parliamentary Committee of Privileges. Among other things, that Committee had found that the behaviour of these MPs during the sit ting had violated Standing Orders and established cus toms and practices regard ing acceptable behaviour of Parliamentarians.

The Committee of

Privileges was tasked with considering a Privilege Motion which stated that the eight Opposition Members, in attempting to prevent the second and third readings of the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) Bill, No. 20 of 2021, had conducted themselves in a gross, disorderly, con tumacious and disrespectful manner, and had repeated ly ignored the authority of the National Assembly and that of the Speaker, thereby committing contempt and breaches of privileges.

Following investiga tions, the Parliamentary Committee of Privileges de livered its report in mid-Ju ly, recommending the sus pension of these eight Opposition MPs for vio lating Standing Orders and established customs and practices regarding acceptable behaviour of Parliamentarians.

According to the Committee’s report, its recommendations were based on video recordings, statements by staff of the Parliament Office and the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC), eyewitness accounts by other Members of the National Assembly, media reporters, and the public, both locally and in ternationally.

Additionally, each of these Opposition Members had been written to and asked to “show cause” why sanctions should not be meted out to them. Their responses were re ceived and considered by the Committee. Armed with those responses, the Committee “found that the named MPs were in viola tion of the Standing Orders and established Customs and Practices regarding acceptable behaviour of Members in the Assembly.”

It was therefore deter mined that the appropriate sanction available for the National Assembly to im pose is suspension from ser vice in the House.

tempting to prevent the sec ond and third readings of the NRF Bill; for conducting themselves in a gross, disor derly, contumacious and dis respectful manner; and for repeatedly ignoring the au thority of the Assembly and that of the Speaker, thereby committing contempt and breaches of privileges.

Reliefs

Against Attorney General Nandlall, House Speaker Manzoor Nadir, and Clerk of the National Assembly, Sherlock Isaacs, the Opposition MPs are seeking an interim order suspending any decision, resolution, or other determi nation made by the National Assembly to suspend them.

They are requesting an other interim order allowing them to perform their du ties until they have been af forded the right to be heard before the Parliamentary Sessional Select Committee of Privileges, pending the hearing and determination of their case.

Further, they are seek ing, among other things, a declaration that the re port of the Parliamentary Committee of Privileges is unconstitutional, null, void, and of no legal effect; and that their suspension is a breach of the principles of natural justice, because their rights, as guaranteed under Article 144 (8) of the Constitution, have been in fringed.

‘Unaware’

Notwithstanding the findings of the Parliamentary Committee of Privileges, the APNU/ AFC Parliamentarians, in legal documents seen by this publication, contend that they are “unaware of any act of ours on the day in ques tion falling in the category of gross disorderly conduct, contempt, and breaches of privileges, and that to the best of our recollection, on the day in question, our posture was no different from all other Members of Parliament who were pres ent…”

According to them, they had specifically request ed that the Committee of Privileges identify to them the Standing Orders or priv ileges they had supposedly violated, as this was essen tial if they were to effective ly exercise the opportunity

to show cause.

They complained that at no time were they in vited to appear before the Committee of Privileges to be allowed a hearing, nor were they told what action of theirs had violated estab lished customs and practic es regarding acceptable be haviour of MPs.

The Parliamentarians have argued that the report of the Committee of Privileges would be a published record that would forever inevita bly affect their character and reputation. They argued that any suspension would fur ther hinder them from repre senting the people who elect ed them to sit in the National Assembly, and would also prevent Mahipaul from func tioning as a member of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

They contend, inter alia, that “any suspension will deprive (them) of their full salaries and of the opportu nity to be representatives of the National Assembly and people of Guyana at nation al, regional, and interna tional forums.”

Further, they submitted that their likely suspension is part and parcel of an un constitutional scheme and/ or device by the Government to utilise its majority in the National Assembly to silence and to reduce the numbers of sitting Parliamentary Opposition Members of Parliament.

No salaries, allowances

The Clerk of the National Assembly has since written the suspended Members of Parliament, informing them that, during the period of their suspension, they would not be paid salaries and al lowances, and would not be entitled to some of the oth er benefits enjoyed by other Members of the House.

The Privileges Committee recommend ed that Jones, Mahipaul, Duncan and Singh-Lewis be each suspended for four consecutive sittings: for at

A recommendation was also made for MPs Ferguson and Jordan to each be sus pended for six consecutive sittings for similar offenc es. However, their suspen sion was higher, since the Committee concurred that they had committed “seri ous violations which were severe and egregious, by unauthorisedly removing the Parliamentary Mace from its rightful position in a disorderly fashion, caus ing damage to the Mace; and injuring and assault ing a staff of the Parliament Office while attempting to remove the Mace from the Chamber”.

And a similar recom mendation of suspension for six consecutive sittings has been made against SaraboHalley, whose violations were found to be “severe and egregious with regard to unauthorisedly entering the Communication Control Room of the ACCC and de stroying several pieces of audio-visual equipment, be ing public property”.

MP Philadelphia is also facing a suspension recom mendation of six consecu tive sittings over her severe and egregious violations, by which she “verbally assault ed a staff of the Parliament Office within the precincts of the National Assembly”.

The Privileges Committee is chaired by the House Speaker, and its members comprise both Government and Opposition MPs. Representing Government are: Prime Minister Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips; Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC; Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Minister Gail Teixeira; Culture, Youth and Sport Minister Charles Ramson; and Attorney-atLaw Sanjeev Datadin.

Representing the Opposition APNU/AFC on the Privileges Committee are Khemraj Ramjattan; Roysdale Forde, SC; Geeta Chandan-Edmond, and David A Patterson.

It is understood that the Opposition Members did not participate in the last three of five Privileges Committee meetings. Hence, the oth er members, including the Chairman, had gone ahead and concluded the report with the recommendations for the suspension of the eight Opposition MPs.

Among the lawyers rep resenting the suspended MPs are Selwyn Pieters and Khemraj Ramjattan.

The eight suspended APNU/AFC Parliamentarians

News

Over 400 Guyanese secured jobs through El Dorado Offshore in oil & gas sector

Today, with more than 400 Guyanese employed, and locations in Suriname, Colombia, and Trinidad, EDO has made its name as one of the biggest re cruitment companies in the Caribbean’s energy sector, EDO noted in a press state ment on Friday.

It said that Guyanese are dedicated and commit ted workers eager to de velop themselves and the country they love. One of EDO’s challenges, the com pany highlighted, was find ing persons to fill critical offshore positions in the en ergy sector.

In 2015, Guyanese across the world celebrated the country’s first oil dis covery. This was followed by a plethora of discoveries, which continue to date.

For some, this meant

However, cognisant of its role to ensure Guyanese benefit from the jobs in this sector, EDO said it invested in ensuring persons achieve the requisite certification for these roles.

“Our slogan at El Dorado Offshore is Everyone Deserves Opportunities. As

among many other top po sitions on and offshore, the company disclosed, add ing that it also supplies its workers with all the gear and equipment to complete the job.

“Many of the certificates required for offshore posi tions are too expensive for

and Gas Summit, where the public got an opportunity to interact with the Human Resources Administrators.

“Persons were eager to learn how to transition into the energy sector and the requirements for the more than 60 vacant positions.

EDO continues to grow from strength to strength. The company has several initia tives planned for Guyana in 2023 through its CSR efforts, workshops and job camps to ensure Guyanese are well positioned to bene fit from their oil resource,” the press statement said.

more remarkable develop ment, a better way of living, and more opportunities for jobs in Guyana. El Dorado Offshore (EDO), a manpow er and recruitment compa ny, was perfectly positioned to make the dreams of many ambitious Guyanese come true.

With just five persons, EDO, a Ramps Logistics (Guyana) Inc subsidiary, opened its first office in 2017 in Brickdam, Georgetown.

a Guyanese company ser vicing Guyana’s oil and gas sector, we believe Guyanese should be the first to bene fit from these opportunities. We felt that it is important that we go an extra mile to provide the training,” said Head of EDO Guyana, Sherry Ferrell.

Today, Guyanese hold positions such as Health and Safety Officers, General Managers, Senior Engineers, Roustabouts, Floorman, and Head Cooks,

a person wanting to change careers. In an effort to facil itate this, EDO has collab orated with some of its cli ents to provide training for young skilled Guyanese.”

These applicants, it said, have obtained certificates in HUET/TBOSIET with Compressed Air Emergency Breathing Systems (CA EBS) in Trinidad, Houston, USA and Brazil. These are just a few of the training EDO has made available for

its employees, EDO said.

While it is essential to ensure persons are equipped for these positions, EDO said that Guyanese must have an equal opportunity to take up these roles. With that in mind, the compa ny pointed out that it held several job camps in five re gions across Guyana.

These were held in Hopetown, Anna Regina, Kamarang, Port Mourant, and Mabaruma, and quite a few attendees gained em ployment opportunities through these initiatives. There were one-on-one dis cussions, resume writing training and on-the-spot in terviews provided at these job camps.

“We found that the re sumes emailed to us lacked several key elements. So, we felt that it was necessary to share this knowledge to en sure that persons put their best selves forward and do not lose out on important opportunities,” Ferrell ex plained.

At the end of this suc cessful initiative, EDO said it was able to add over 400 skilled jobseekers to its da tabase, some of whom have already been employed with several of their clients. In addition, the company not ed that it has been sure to give back to several commu nities through its Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives.

The company recently sponsored the Inter-District Kayaking Competition in Linden, and hosted a ca pacity-building Supplier Workshop for local entre preneurs.

Over the years, EDO shared that it has proudly represented Guyana at sev eral conferences around the world. The most recent was the Suriname Energy, Oil

The team will be head ing back into the hinterland regions to provide opportu nities for persons to gain meaningful jobs in the ener gy sector.

EDO promised to con tinue to work with its em ployees to build their ca pacity and ensure they are equipped to take up more complex roles.

Head of EDO Guyana, Sherry Ferrell

Some of the attendees at the EDO Job Fair held in Kamarang Compound, Region Seven, earlier this year

EDO representatives and the organiser of the Inter-District Kayaking Competition pose for a photo

Ramps and EDO officials pose for a photo at the end of the supplier workshop held at the Roraima Duke Lodge

A

Two members of the EDO team at the dry dock in Supply, East Bank Demerara

Kaieteur News' robbery

2 ex-employees among 7 remanded to prison

Two former employ

ees of Kaieteur News were among seven men remanded to prison on Friday for a robbery at the newspaper’s Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown office.

Joshua Junor, 35, a secu rity officer of Middle Street, La Penitence, Georgetown, and Ryan Wharton, 33, a Research Assistant, of Canary Street, Tucville, Georgetown, both former employees of Kaieteur News; Lemuel Grant, 23, a clerk, of Russell Street, Charlestown, Georgetown; 36-year-old

Harry Stongster of Hyde Park, Timehri, East Bank Demerara (EBD) and Ivor Belingie called “Wild Life” appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

The joint charge read to them stated that between October 9 and 10 at Lot 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, while being armed with a gun, they robbed Kaieteur News owned by Glenn Lall of $38.8 million in cash, a Republic Bank cheque valued at $9.1 million, US$9360, a .32 Taurus pistol and ammu nition valued at $515,000, a firearm case valued at $25,000, six magazines val ued at $60,000, among oth er items.

They were also charged with robbing Noel Junior of $5000 and Wayne Little of a cellular phone worth $44,000. After pleading not guilty to the charges, the men were remanded to prison until November 10 by Chief Magistrate Ann

McLennan, who in justify ing her decision to remand them, cited the serious na ture of the offence and the public’s safety.

Grant was represented by lawyer Eusi Anderson, who submitted that the only part his client played in the commissioning of the crime, was lending his motor car to Wharton, who is his cousin, unknowing that he was go ing to use the car to commit a crime.

According to him, at the time of the robbery, his cli ent was at a popular bar, and CCTV footage from the establishment will be pre sented to support his alibi.

Collis Heywood and Kevin France, on the oth er hand, were separate ly charged for the unlawful possession of guns and am munition. The two charges read to Heywood, a 40-yearold chef, of Lot R2-578 Canary Street, Tucville, Georgetown, stated that on October 10 at Georgetown, he had a .32 ammunition and 210 matching rounds in his possession, when he was

not the holder of a firearm li cence enforced at the time.

Meanwhile, France, 35, a taxi driver of East Ruimveldt, Georgetown, was accused of having a 9mm pistol along with 10 match ing rounds in his possession when he was not the holder of a firearm licence enforced at the time, on the said date at his home. The pair plead ed not guilty to the charges and were remanded to pris on until November 9.

Police Prosecutor Neville Jeffers told the court that investigations revealed that the robbery was planned a week prior by Wharton, the mastermind.

According to the prosecu tor, a probe into the robbery led to the arrest of Heywood and France—both of whom were found with the compa ny firearm in their posses sion.

Background Guyana Times had previously reported that three bandits walked into Kaieteur News and held three of its employees at

gunpoint, before carting off millions of dollars in cash.

Wharton, who had pre viously worked with the company as a Research Assistant, was arrested on Monday and confessed to plotting the armed robbery.

He implicated Joshua Junor, who at the time of the robbery, was one of the company’s on-duty security guards. Joshua Junor was the security officer that was seen on CCTV footage of the robbery, being held at gun point and forced into a room at the company.

Wharton told investiga tors that while he used to work with Kaieteur News in 2021, he became friends with Joshua Junor. After he left the job, he admitted that he told Joshua Junor that they could “thief mon ey” from Kaieteur News and he reportedly agreed.

However, on Sunday last, at about 11:00h, Wharton said Joshua Junor went to his home with his motor car, along with another man, Belingie and they planned the robbery.

Wharton admitted to cops that he asked Belingie if he had a gun and Belingie responded in the negative. He said he then told Belingie that he would provide him with a gun and that they would rob Kaieteur News and they all agreed.

Joshua Junor and Wharton then left, after which he called a friend, Stongster on his cell phone and told him about the plan to rob Kaieteur News and Stongster agreed to go with them. Police also stated that Wharton said he called his cousin, Grant, and asked him to borrow his Toyota Spacio motor car and he lent him the vehicle.

Wharton said he proceed ed to change the number plate on Grant’s vehicle and replaced it with a fake num ber plate HC 5152. At about 23:00h, Stongster went to his home with the motor car and Wharton gave Harry a phone number for Belingie and told him to call Belingie and pick him up at Back Circle in East Ruimveldt, Georgetown, which Harry did.

Shortly after, Stongster returned with Belingie, whom he gave his unli censed 9mm pistol and they proceeded to Kaieteur News, in the Spacio vehicle which Wharton drove.

On arrival, Belingie held Joshua Junor, the se curity officer, and two oth ers at gunpoint, as they had planned, while Wharton and Harry went up to the Accounts Department where he knew the safe was locat

ed. The men claimed that they pushed open the office door, and broke off a padlock on a desk drawer. Wharton along with Harry then lifted out the safe which was un der a desk and put it in the back seat of Grant’s car.

Then, he along with Harry and Belingie drove to his home, where they opened the safe, and re moved a large sum of cash, a firearm, ammunition, one holster, magazines, and fire arm hand grips. They then divided the money into four. Belingie collected Joshua Junor’s share on his be half and the men proceed ed to burn the clothes they used to conduct the robbery. Stongster and Belingie then left Wharton’s home and threw away the empty safe in a trench at Cane View Avenue, South Ruimveldt Gardens, Georgetown.

Wharton then took his share of the loot and hand ed it over to his child’s moth er, a Policewoman, for safe keeping and told her that he had won the cash while playing a Superbet game. Wharton also placed the gun and ammunition removed from the safe along with the gun used in the robbery, fire arm grips, and holster into a haversack and gave them to his friend, Heywood, at Tucville, Georgetown. Police recovered over $6 million of the stolen cash, the sto len pistol and ammunition, the broken safe, and the car used in the robbery. From the outset, Lall had asserted that the robbery was an “in side job”.

Kitty man gets 2 years for break and enter and larceny

– female accomplice granted bail

Shawn Persaud, called Shawn Yhap, a 46-year-old unem ployed man of Lot 67 Pike Street, Kitty, and 18-yearold Aaliya Gonsalves also called “Aaliya Persaud” were joined slapped with a break and enter and larceny charge.

They both appeared be fore Magistrate R Liverpool at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court where the charge was read to them.

Shawn Persaud plead ed guilty and was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.

He was also sentenced to an additional two years for an offence similar in nature.

The sentences will run con currently.

Gonsalves pleaded not guilty and was granted bail in the sum of $20,000. She will make her next court ap pearance on November 9, 2022.

It was reported that hours after robbing 67-yearold Diana Agrippa of Good Hope, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara (ECD), the sus pected perpetrators were nabbed in a minibus with

the loot.

The robbery reportedly took place two Wednesdays ago.

It was further reported that Agrippa secured her home and went to the shop, but upon returning home a short while after, she ob served that one of her access doors had been prized open. Upon checking, she real ised that several items were missing.

She immediately con tacted the Police and report ed the robbery. Police re ceived information that the

two suspects – a male and a female – had joined a mini bus and were heading to Georgetown.

As a result, in collabora tion with the Vigilance and Mahaica patrols, the sus pects were apprehended at Enmore Public Road, ECD.

A search was conducted on both individuals during which one Dell laptop, two cell phones, one electronic tablet, two dresses, one pair of sandals, one Dove cream, two deodorants, one portable DVD player, and six pairs of underwear were found in their possession. They were subsequently charged.

The cash, firearm and ammunition that were recovered by the Police after the robbery

Remanded: Joshua Junor Remanded: Ryan Wharton Remanded: Lemuel Grant Remanded: Harry Stongster Remanded: Collis Heywood Remanded: Ivor Belingie

Sentenced: Shawn Persaud

On bail: Aaliya Gonsalves

Remanded: Kevin France

HOROSCOPES

Your enthusiasm will rub off on oth ers. Share your thoughts, and you’ll get the help you need. Don’t let an uned ucated opinion dismantle your plans. Follow your heart.

(March 21-April 19)

SUDOKU

(April 20-May 20)

A change of scenery will empower you. Take a moment to unwind and re group before you make a move. Refuse to let your emotions take you in the wrong direction. Look out for yourself first.

Put your head down and keep work ing toward your objective. Leave no stone unturned. Offer positive input and see who aligns with you. You’ll be sur prised by the outcome.

(May 21-June 20)

(June 21-July 22) (July 23-Aug. 22)

Emotions will surface and confusion will arise if you aren’t willing to look at situations realistically. Don’t overreact or leave anything to chance. Be proac tive and well-informed.

You’ll get a sense of what others want and how you can contribute. Your input will help you gain respect and a leader ship position. Caring and sharing will bring positive results. Romance is en couraged.

Remain calm, regardless of what oth ers do or say. Don’t let your emotions take charge and cause you to reveal something you should keep to yourself. Be sensible at all times.

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

You are in a better position than you realize. Don’t miss out because you are too scared to make a move. Follow your heart and reach for the stars. You’ll have the discipline to reach your goal.

Taking care of lingering matters will put your mind at ease. Waiting for some one to make a move will be a waste of time. Concentrate on what’s important to you and make a beeline to the finish line.

(Oct. 24-Nov. 22) (Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

Surround yourself with experts and call on those you can count on to help. Pay attention to meaningful relation ships and you’ll notice little things you can do to improve connections.

Emotions will surface. Choose your words wisely and treat others respect fully. Fair play and a willingness to work in unison with others will pay off. Take better care of yourself physically.

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Consider what works for you and do your own thing. If you make a move be cause someone else does, it will set you back. Step up, say what you think and try to be the best you can be.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

Remain calm, regardless of what’s happening around you. Don’t let anyone railroad you into a disagreement. Keep things in perspective and avoid anyone putting pressure on you.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

Captaincy ban on David Warner one step nearer to being overturned

its code of conduct

Spain refuses Qatar's request for riot police at Soccer World Cup 2022

With Cricket Australia propos ing a change to its code of conduct, David Warner is on the verge of be ing granted leave to appeal against his lifetime leader ship ban.

Warner is currently un able to hold a captaincy po sition in Australian Cricket, after copping a lifetime ban as a result of a 2018 ball-tampering scandal. The 35-year-old has long shown a desire to have that ban overturned, with Australian Cricket having largely moved on from the saga.

However, it has since be come clear that an appeal is not as easy as Warner had hoped.

Under the current rules, players do not have the right to have a sanction reviewed, once it has been accepted. However, CA officials on Friday went some way to opening the door for change.

With Warner's situa tion and the current code of conduct high on the agen da, the board has request ed its head of integrity, Jacqui Partridge, to propose a change to its rules. Such a move would grant players or officials the right to request a penalty be reviewed after an "appropriate period of time".

be able to have a chat (with) the integrity unit. If that's possible, I'm happy to sit down with them and chew the fat a little bit, and see where we're at.

"If it does get overturned, then we have to go from there. For me, I'm a lead er in this team, no matter what. It doesn't matter if you've got a 'c' or a 'vc' next to your name; you've got to put your best foot forward and lead by example."

On the prospect of cap taining Australia again,

genuine reform. The board has requested that the CA Head of Integrity propose an amendment to the code for consideration. It was agreed that should an amendment in respect to long-term sanc tions be adopted, any review of a penalty would be heard by an independent code of conduct commission."

Any such change would likely be

a captain for this season, and Warner could fit the bill if eligible, once back from Test duties. Warner's move to sign with the Thunder on a two-summer deal and re turn to the Big Bash League has won him some credit with CA officials.

CA Chairman Lachlan Henderson indicated, after the organisation's AGM on Thursday, that he was open to Warner's case be ing reviewed.

Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Preview - Doha, Qatar - October 13, 2022 World Cup branding seen on an escalator inside the Mall of Qatar (REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed /file photo)

Spain will not send riot police to Qatar to help safeguard the upcom ing soccer World Cup, as had been requested by the Middle Eastern country, the

three million - of whom only 380,000 are Qatari nation als - Qatar faces a short age of personnel as it gears up for the month-long FIFA soccer tournament, which

nounced last month that it would send more than 3,000 riot police to help Qatar stage soccer's showpiece

Warner added: "If it ever presented itself, it would be a privilege. For me, it's about focusing on the next game, and what I have to do for the team. At this point in time, that's what I have to do."

A Cricket Australia statement said: "The onus would be on the applicant to prove they had undergone genuine reform relevant to the offence they were sanc tioned for. Any review would not revisit the original sanc tion, other than suspension of a penalty in recognition of

World Cup squad…

made before Australia ap point a new full-time cap tain of the one-day team, following Aaron Finch's re tirement. Australia have three ODIs lined up against England next month, after the T20 World Cup, but oth erwise do not play again in the format until March. It is also likely that Australia would be on the search for a new T20 captain shortly, with Finch very likely retir ing after the global tourna ment.

Beyond that, Sydney Thunder are yet to appoint

"The view within Cricket Australia is that David is doing particularly well on the field, and making a great contribution off the field," he said. "We need to be careful that we're not reactive in re lation to bans that have been imposed in the past, but we also need to be aware that players and those subject to sanctions can change, can do very well in the future; and we'd like to think that we need to adopt a princi ple of fairness as we look at David's situation particu larly." (ESPNCricinfo)

Qatar has come under severe scrutiny from human ment of migrant workers in

Mohammed Shami replaces Jasprit Bumrah

"At the end of the day, I've just got to accept what decision is handed down," Warner told Fox Sports during the T20I in Canberra. "There is talk that I might Mohammed Shami has replaced Jasprit Bumrah in India's T20 World Cup squad. According to a BCCI release, Shami has touched down in Australia, and will link up with the squad in Brisbane ahead of India's two official warm-up match es, against the hosts and New Zealand, on October 17 and 19 respectively.

As reported by ESPNcricinfo earli er, Shardul Thakur and Mohammed Siraj, who was named Player of the Series in India's 2-1 triumph over South Africa in the 50-over format earlier in the week, have been named as backups. The pair will travel to Australia shortly, the BCCI has said.

When Bumrah was ruled out of the World Cup on October 3, he was fac

ing about six weeks on the sidelines because of a stress-related back in jury. Shami was the frontrunner to re place him, es

Shami will replace Bumrah in the squad, while Siraj has been named among back-ups (AFP/Getty Images) wicket-taker for India.

pecially after head coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit Sharma had hinted at preferring someone with past experience of having played in Australia. Shami has been part of multiple tours to Australia, and was involved in two Test se ries’ wins as well as an ODI World Cup in 2015, where he was the second-highest

In Australia, Shami will join a seam-bowling attack comprising Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh and Harshal Patel, with Hardik Pandya as the all-round op tion.

Shami will replace Bumrah in the squad, while Siraj has been named among back-ups.

Shami hasn't played any form of cricket in the last three months. He was named in India's T20I squad for the home series against Australia and South Africa in September, but had to pull out after testing positive for COVID-19. Shami subse quently resumed training after returning a negative test on September 28, and is believed to have cleared the BCCI-mandated cardiovas cular tests last week.

Shami hasn't played T20Is for close to a year now, having last featured in the format during the 2021 World Cup in the UAE. He picked up six wickets from five games at an economy of 8.84 in that tournament, and has since had rich returns in the IPL for debutants Gujarat Titans, who also went on to become champi ons. Shami finished as the

highest wicket-taker for Titans, picking up 20 wick ets, but, more importantly, he featured in all 16 games.

His powerplay numbers were particularly impres sive. His 11 wickets in this phase were the joint-high est with Mukesh Choudhary (one of two net bowlers in Australia, along with Chetan Sakariya), while his economy of 6.62 was the fifth-best among the 14 bowlers who delivered 20 or more overs in the competi tion. However, at the death, his economy was 9.63.

None of the other reserve players originally namedShreyas Iyer, Ravi Bishnoi and Deepak Chahar - are travelling at the moment.

Chahar was touted to be Shami's closest com petitor for the vacancy left by Bumrah's back injury. However, Chahar is current

ly at the National Cricket Academy after fresh con cerns arose over his back. He was subsequently with drawn from the South Africa series.

Teams that qualified di rectly for the World Cup can make changes to the squads without requiring permission from the event's technical committee, until October 15.

India squad for T20 World Cup: Rohit Sharma (captain), KL Rahul (vice-capt), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Hardik Pandya, R. Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami.

Reserve players: Mohammed Siraj, Shreyas Iyer, Ravi Bishnoi, Shardul Thakur. (ESPNcricinfo)

David Warner

West Indies to play Prime Minister’s XI in four-day pink-ball match

West

Indies will again be part of one of cricket’s great tra ditions on the upcoming Test tour of Australia. As part of the preparations for the twomatch series, the visitors will have a four-day pink ball match against the Australia Prime Minister’s XI.

This will be played at Manuka Oval in Canberra from November 23-26. The day/night match will be played under lights, and will recognise the anniversary of the inaugural fixture in 1951, also against the West Indies.

The match will also form part of the team’s prepara tions for the series against

between the two teams. It will be played on December 8-12 at the Adelaide Oval, following the first Test at the Optus Stadium in Perth from November 30 to December 4.

The series will be contest ed for the prestigious Frank Worrell Trophy, named in honour of the legendary West Indies captain. It will also form part of the ICC World Test Championship.

Australia Prime Minister, the Hon. Mr. Anthony Albanese, has said: “I am delighted to con firm the return of the Prime Minister’s XI this summeran Australian tradition that spans 70 years. Along with Cricket Australia, I am very

the Aussies, which will fea ture the first pink ball Test

excited to be welcoming the West Indies. I grew up lov

ing watching Viv Richards, Malcolm Marshall and Joel Garner, so I’m thrilled my first PM’s XI as Prime Minister will be against the current West Indies stars here in Canberra.”

West Indies Test cap tain Kraigg Brathwaite has

Guyanese Andre "Padlock" Green registers win in Division 2 even

said: “We’re looking forward to this tour of Australia, and there is great energy and readiness in our camp. The match against the Prime Minister’s XI is a major part of the cricket calendar, and it will be an honour to lead the West Indies in such a presti

gious match.”

He added: “My prepara tion has been going well. I’ve been home for a while, so I have been able to do plen ty of drills and fitness work, as well as playing club crick et and other tournaments… spending time in the mid dle… for what will be a ma jor tour for us. We have been playing some good Test cricket this year, with very good series wins against England and Bangladesh, and we want to make great

Guyana to host Inter Guiana Games in November

er strides in the ICC World Test Championship table.”

MATCH SCHEDULE –West Indies Tour of Australia November 23-26: vs Prime Minister’s XI at Manuka Oval, Canberra (day/night) November 30 to December 4: 1st Test at Optus Stadium, Perth December 8-12: 2nd Test at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (day/night)

CLASSIFIED ADS

PROPERTY FOR SALE

New Scheme, Zeelugt. Contact No: 643-8274

Guyanese

cyclist Andre “Padlock” Green re corded a win on Friday in the Tour of Tobago Division Two. The Berbician stopped the clock in one hour 17 minutes and 27 seconds in the five lap/division two event. Green finished ahead of Josias Valsquez (Team Pharmaco/Venezuela) who clocked in at one hour 17 minutes and 27.91 seconds.

Kirsten George came third in that race. After the race, Green said he used his previous experience in Trinidad and Tobago, which aided him to win the race.

“I had a good approach to the race because of past ex perience, because I had an early break where I relaxed and waited for the finish. From the second lap, I tried to create the break, but I was caught up. On the third lap,the guys joined me, and that was the break and that set me up for the finish,” Green said.

He is also expected to ride today, Saturday October 15, and he is confident of tak ing the overall race. He not ed that creating the early break will aided him in win

ning the sprint.

The other Guyanese in the Tour of Tobago is Jamual John, who is expected to put up a good showing in the up coming days.

The International and Division One cyclists will battle over 10 laps/100km, saw Jonny Browne (Miami Blazers/USA) 2 hrs. 14 min 19.73 secs, Matio Garcia (Team Foundation/Colombia 2;14:22.51 and Oscar Pachon (Raiders/Colombia) 2:14.24.54 finishing in that order and time.

Division Three and Casual Bikers (two laps/20km race), saw Jervon

Adams (Unattached/Tobago) 34;20.46, Peter Parks (Raiders/TTO) )34:21.O and James London (Unattached/ Tobago) 34:51.1 finishing in that order.

The staging of the 2022 Tobago Internatonal Cycling Classic (TICC) has been made possible courte sy sponsors: National Gas Company (NGC), Prime Minister’s Sport and Culture Fund, BMobile, Montecci Bikes, Econo Car Rentals, Agostini Insurance, Crown Point Hotel, Caribbean Bottlers Limited, Carib Brewery and Brydens. (Brandon Corlette)

Guyana to host Inter Guiana Games in November

SERVICE

Astrology and Spiritual Healer Pt. Mohan: +592-692-1009. If there is any problem in your life, he will get the solution. Please con tact spiritual healer, regarding health, love, business, husband and wife problems, etc. Address: Georgetown, Guyana.

Guyana

would this year be hosting the Inter Guiana Games (IGG), a competition in which athletes from the Republic of Guyana compete against their counterparts from Suriname and French Guiana in athletics and track and field activities. The scheduled period for the staging of these Games is November 25-27, 2022.

As such, the Athletics Association of Guyana will be hosting trials for athletes on Sunday, 30th October, at the Leonora Track and Field facil ity from 10:00am. These trials are for all athletes under the age of 20 years, and all ath letes in all the administrative

regions of Guyana are wel come to participate. Athletes must, however, be enrolled in an institution of learning to be eligible to participate.

The trials to be held would be concerning the following events:

100m male/female

200m male/female

400m male/female

male/female

male/female

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Prime Minister Phillips declares 2022 Amerindian Heritage...

Thus far, Government has made several invest ments in the development of sport infrastructure, includ ing the completion of synthet ic tracks in Regions Six and

Ten; Multi-purpose sport facil ities in Regions Two, Six and 10; the erection of stands at the National Track and Field Centre at Leonora; Rehabilitation works at the National Stadium

at Providence; and contin ued maintenance works to sport facilities, including the Mackenzie Sports Club, the Kwakwani Recreational Centre, the National Aquatic

Centre and Colgrain Pool.

Also present at Friday’s opening of the Heritage Games were Amerindian Affairs Minister Pauline Sukhai; Local Government and Regional

Development Minister Nigel Dharamlall; Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Lenox Shuman; and several members of the diplomatic community.

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Andre “Padlock” Green and Jervon Adams

The Frank Worrell Trophy

David Warner and Steven Smith

West Indies will be led by Kraigg Brathwaite

Prime Minister Phillips declares 2022 Amerindian Heritage Games Open

Prime Minister

Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips has told Indigenous Guyanese who were gathered at the Everest Cricket Club ground for the start of the 2022 Amerindian Heritage Games that the Government would contin ue to make the necessary in vestments in sport.

“As you partake in these activities, do so with the confidence that this Government will continue to invest in sport. Moreover, as this event serves as a highlight on the calendar of activities for Amerindian Heritage Month, we must be reminded that the op portunities and invest ments in the sporting sec tor will not only be limited to the people on the coast,

but to all Guyanese, includ ing our Amerindian people,” the Prime Minister has de clared.

Prime Minister Phillips has reaffirmed Government’s commitment to the devel opment of Amerindian and

hinterland communities. He said Guyana’s growing econ omy would help to develop the social sector, which in cludes the promotion of cul ture and sport, in order to develop a well-rounded pop ulation.

West Indies 2023 tour to Pakistan likely postponed

Pakistan’s home series against West Indies early next year is likely to be postponed un til the following season.

it because the COVID-19 pandemic split one whiteball series in December 2021 into two.

The

February 2024, when they are due to play three Tests as part of the World Test Championship.

Various West Indian players have already been signed

“It is said that the value of sport is such that it teach es us universal soft skills and learning values that all contribute to our sense of re sponsible citizenship. For this reason, our Government has pledged to invest heavi

ly in sport in Guyana, as it (sport) contributes to build ing all-rounded citizens who lead fulfilling lives,” the Prime Minister explained.

He also announced that the team winning the female cricket competition would be

sponsored to compete in the Prime Minister’s Cup later this year.

POSITIVE INVESTMENTS

Prime Minister Phillips reminded that $250M has been set aside in 2022 for the development and im provement of a number of community grounds across the country, and 25 com munity grounds in Regions One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven and Ten had been upgraded in 2021.

“Guyana’s growing econ omy must be able to support the development of the so cial sector, and part of that includes the promotion of culture and sport to develop a well-rounded population,” the Prime Minister added.

Jumbo Jet Horse Race Meet set for tomorrow at Bush Lot, West Berbice

match T20I series in January, but ESPNcricinfo understands both boards are happy to reschedule it for 2024.

The resulting space in the calendar potentially al lows players from both sides to become available for the various T20 leagues during that period. The ILT20 in the UAE, the SA20 in South Africa, the BBL in Australia, and the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) are all taking place in that month.

West Indies have al ready visited Pakistan twice in the last 10 months, albe

two sides played three T20Is that month, before a COVID outbreak in the West Indies camp meant the subsequent ODIs had to be postponed to June this year. They played the ODIs in Multan, as part of the 2023 World Cup Super League.

This series of three T20Is was penciled in be tween New Zealand’s visit to Pakistan in the winter of 2022-23 and the Pakistan Super League next year.

The three games would most likely be add ed to West Indies’ visit in

up to take part in the BBL, SA20 and ILT20. Pakistan’s players did not feature in the SA20 auction because of a combination of – at the time – their internation al home schedule, but also suspicions that they would not find a place in a league in which all six franchises are owned by IPL teams.

No Pakistani players have been given NOCs for the ILT20 either. The ben eficiary could be the BPL, which emerges as a desti nation for some of them in that newly opened window.

(ESPNcricinfo)

TheJumbo Jet Thoroughbred Racing Committee will be hosting a grand one-day horse race meeting on Sunday, October 16, at the Bush Lot United Turf Club on the West Coast of Berbice.

Eight races are card ed for the day, and the top horse in the feature event would be re warded with one million dollars.

The first race of the day would be the L Open J3 race, which is expected to commence at 12:15 hours. Eight horses are registered for the first race, including Top Rankin and Judge Not.

Race two would involve the L Class Non-winners for 2022. O Sana and

Awesome Bandit are among the horses registered in this race, which has a total purse of $387,500.

Race three, the J Class race, will feature champion horse Red Star. That event will have a total purse of more than $500,000. The K Class race, fourth

would involve the likes of Perfect Storm and Prince of Peace. The G & Lower race, fifth race on the cards, would see top horse Memories highlighting the event.

The penultimate race of the day will see the twoyear-old Guyana-bred maid en horses taking centre

West Indies tour to Pakistan is likely to be postponed

The top horse in the feature event will bag one million dollars

The Prime Minister was among other Ministers who graced the proceedings at Everest with their presence

Prime Minister Phillips declares 2022 Amerindian Heritage Games Open